


After it All Began

by ThePurpleFrog



Category: Dangan Ronpa
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, M/M, One Shot, also warnings for blood and death and sads and typical zombie au stuff, but there is violence, guest appearance by Naegi, i don't think it's violent enough to say major depictions of violence, non despair this fic is so despairing things just keep going wrong and wrong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-18
Updated: 2014-06-18
Packaged: 2018-02-05 04:23:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1805164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePurpleFrog/pseuds/ThePurpleFrog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ishimaru and Mondo travel together through the post-apocalyptic world in search of Ishimaru's parents and ultimately a place to survive.<br/>Non-despair AU, warnings for mentions of blood and violence and death and typical zombie stuff. Also, I call zombies 'walkers' because I'm Walking Dead Game loving trash.</p>
            </blockquote>





	After it All Began

Five days after it all began, Mondo found himself next to a small house on the outskirts of the city. Getting out of the large city had been nothing short of a nightmare. Just like the video games he had played in the past proved, large cities were the worst in the apocalypse. Too many people could become walkers, it was easy to get trapped, and in the end you’d be fucked. But Mondo had made it out. Mondo was a tough guy to defeat, and if he decided he wasn’t going to get eaten by walkers, then he wasn’t going to get eaten by walkers. However, sheer willpower didn’t make him any less hungry or tired, so he figured hanging out in this tiny house for the night couldn’t hurt.

The house was pretty old fashioned, albeit plain. It was one of those houses with tatami floors and sliding paper doors. Granted, it wasn’t something completely outdated. There was a kitchen with a normal stove and fridge and the pictures Mondo found in the living room looked fairly recent. He picked up one and sighed when he noticed it was spattered with blood. The picture depicted a family; there was a mother, a father and a son. The two parents seemed normal for the most part. They smiled modestly at the camera and their expressions didn’t seem feigned. It was the son, however, that caught Mondo’s attention. He had never seen a kid look that intense before. The kid had bright red eyes and thick, dark eyebrows and he seemed to be glaring at the camera. There was no attempt to smile at all, which was weird. He looked like he was determined to do something, but Mondo had no idea what.

"I wonder what happened to this family," Mondo muttered to himself. "Either way, the kid looks fuckin’ scary." He put the picture down and then noticed a faint sound that seemed to be coming from the wall to his left. He decided to check it out, just in case. It could be a walker, and he’d rather not stay the night in a house with one of those lurking about. When he opened the closet, he found that it was actually a ladder that lead up. He could hear the sound more clearly now, and it seemed to be coming from above him. He had seen this before. He remembered watching  _The Grudge_  with Daiya when he was little. It had scared the absolute shit out of him, and for weeks on end he thought some dead, creepy lady was living in the attic above his closet. They didn’t even have an attic. But maybe there was a space like that in this house?

"If it turns out to be the grudge I’m gonna fuckin’ kill it." Mondo muttered. He climbed the ladder and opened up the trapdoor at the top. The attic was completely dark, and Mondo couldn’t see a damn thing up there. He pulled the lighter out of his pocket and lit it up. From what he could tell, the attic hadn’t been used in ages. Everything was covered in a thin layer of dust. However, near the back wall was a messy futon, and sitting upon it was the boy Mondo had seen in the picture. He looked like he was alive. He was staring at Mondo with eyes that weren’t dead or foggy, and though the kid was pale, his skin wasn’t a weird gray-ish color like the walkers. Not only that, but he looked about as gross as Mondo, if not more so. The kid’s bright white uniform was covered in blood, as was his face, his hands, and the wooden katana he was clutching onto. It was safe to assume this kid had to face a fair share of walkers, even in his own damn house.

"W-who are you?" The kid stuttered. His voice was shaky and weak, and he held the sword out towards Mondo. "Speak up! You’re not… one of t-them, are you?"

"Them? What, ya mean the walkers?" Mondo asked.

"Walkers? Is that what you’re calling them?" The kid replied.

"Yeah. You can’t really call em people anymore, so ya gotta come up with somethin’."

"So… you’re really not one of them?"

"I don’t think they talk." Mondo said. "I don’t think they climb, either. I figure that’s why you’re up here." The kid nodded. "You’re pretty smart, huh?"

"I’m not smart. I’m just… tactful, I suppose." 

"Just take the damn compliment, alright?"

"You’re not… bitten, right?" He still looked suspicious and kept his sword pointed at Mondo. 

"So you know about that too?"

"Well, it is pretty hard not to notice. People get bitten, then they die and then they come back and eat others. It’s hard not to notice when you see it happen before your own eyes."

"I’m sorry to hear that. But no, I’m not bitten." The kid continued staring at Mondo’s blood-stained clothes and looked doubtful. "I swear, I’m not. I just had to kill a lot of them on my way here. None of this is mine."

"Where did you come from?"

"Downtown. Me and my brother had an apartment there."

"Is your brother here, too?"

"Nah. Daiya, he uh…" Mondo hesitated. "…died a few years back. I live alone."

"Ah. Well, I am very sorry for your loss. Wait, you were in the city? Is it alright? My parents… they work there. They hadn’t come back from work when it all started… Was the city okay? Did people make it out?" 

"Well, I made it out, but I got lucky. It seemed like the whole damn city had turned. But… plenty of other people got out too. Your folks might have… I mean, ya never know." The kid didn’t respond, but he put down his sword as tears began to run down his face. He buried his face in his hands and sobbed openly, leaving Mondo at a loss. "H-hey, calm down! Don’t start cryin’, they might be out there!"

"L-look, just… leave me alone, okay?" The kid said, slowly getting up to his feet. "I’m going to wait up here… until my parents come home…" 

"Hey, kid, ya feelin’ okay?" Mondo couldn’t even feel threatened as the kid approached him. He looked pretty weak and was trembling as he walked. Before the kid could tell Mondo to leave or threaten him with his sword again, he stumbled and Mondo had to catch him before he hit the ground. "Whoa, what the hell? Don’t tell me you’re the one who’s bitten!"

"I-I’m not! I’m just a little tired, is all." The kid said. "You can let go of me."

"When was the last time you ate?"

"Depends. When did people start eating one another?"

"Five days."

"Then four days."

"Why the hell haven’t ya eaten anything?"

"I was waiting for my parents to return! Besides I… didn’t know what might be down there. I figured waiting for them to arrive was the best plan."

"Kid, you’re fuckin’ hopeless." Mondo hoisted the kid up into his arms. "C’mon, we’re gettin’ something to eat."

"What’s your name?" The kid finally asked, too exhausted to argue. 

"It’s Mondo. Mondo Oowada if ya wanna get fancy, but I don’t think it matters much more."

"I’m Kiyotaka Ishimaru." Ishimaru said, wrapping his arms around Mondo’s neck so he could hold on. "Thank you, Mondo."

Luckily for the two of them, the power hadn’t gone out yet, so Mondo was able to make something warm for the two of them to eat. The house didn’t have much in it; but a plain bowl of steamed rice was like a godsend to him, seeing how he had spent the last five days eating whatever he could find while hiding from walkers. 

"Feelin’ any better?" Mondo asked after Ishimaru had finished what seemed like his fifth bowl.

"Yes. Thank you very much, Mondo. I am sorry to have caused you trouble-"

"It’s fine. You just gotta… think ahead for this shit, okay? Cooping yourself up in a safe place is fine and all but ya gotta make sure ya have things to survive, too."

"I know. I just… wasn’t prepared for something like this. How come you seem so ready?" Ishimaru asked.

"I dunno. I’ve played video games that dealt with this kinda thing before."

"You played this kind of situation for fun?"

"Yeah. I guess it does seem a little weird, huh?"

"Yes. I just don’t understand how anyone could find this," he gestured to the dried blood on the ground, "enjoyable. This whole thing is just horrible."

"How many of them did ya… you know… have to deal with?" Mondo asked. 

"Two." Ishimaru replied, quietly. "That’s it." 

"Two? Well, that’s…" Ishimaru had expected Mondo to laugh at him and tell him that two wasn’t that big of a deal compared to what he had seen in the cities. "That’s really impressive. You’re a tough kid."

"What? You really mean that?" Ishimaru asked. 

"Of course I do. It’s not easy. Hell, I’ve spent my whole life pickin’ fights and this still freaks me out. No offense kid, but you look like one of those goodie goodies who doesn’t ever get in trouble. So to kill two of them on your own? That’s somethin’ to be proud of." 

"I…" Ishimaru looked as if he was about to cry again, effectively freaking out Mondo. 

"Hey, don’t start cryin’ again! I’m sorry. I dunno what I did but I’m sorry and-"

"Mondo. Thank you." Ishimaru said. He still looked like he was on the verge of tears, but he was smiling regardless. "You’re the first person to ever say that you were proud of me. It’s… very kind of you."

"Oh? Well, uh…" Mondo didn’t really know what to say to that. This was weid. This kid was weird. He seemed nice enough, but he was still pretty weird. "Keep up the good work." He said, patting his back. 

"I will!" Ishimaru said, beaming. "Mondo, thank you so much for your kindness tonight. I’m truly indebted to you. If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know."

"Hmm. I can think of somethin’." Mondo smirked. "You should come with me."

"Come with you where?" Ishimaru asked, obviously confused. 

"Somewhere else." Mondo said. "Look, if I’ve learned anything in the past week, it’s that stayin’ in one place is dangerous. Especially if you’re alone. This place is empty now, but who knows how long it will take for some walkers to get here?"

"Mondo I… I can’t." Ishimaru replied nervously. "This is my home. How will my parents find me if I’m not here?"

"Our best chance is to keep moving. Walkers are always moving, so it’s best for us to be too. Besides, if we keep movin’ we might find your parents out there, too. Don’t ya think?"

"I don’t know…"

"And Ishi, I don’t think stayin’ alone is a good idea. For either of us. We’ll be safer together. We can watch out for one another and stay safer. Also, don’t you think it’d be nice to have someone to talk to?"

"You mean… like a friend?" Ishimaru asked. 

"Yeah, somethin’ like that. Whaddaya say?" Ishimaru hesitated, and finally stood up. 

"I think I have an extra backpack in my room." He said, heading towards the hallway. "We’re going to need supplies, right? We’ll get packed, and then we’ll leave in the morning."

"I guess you aren’t completely hopeless."

* * *

 

"Mondo, do you think we should ever… head anywhere?" Ishimaru asked. Currently, the two of them were in an old, empty shrine the middle of a forest. They were lying in the blankets they had brought along and were idly chatting with one another before going to sleep. 

It had been two months after it all began, and Ishimaru and Mondo honestly had no idea where they were. They’d travel from place to place, avoiding big cities and instead staying in sparse neighborhoods in the countryside. They’d camp out in abandoned buildings here and there, managing to find supplies and food along the way. They had found only one group on their journey, but they were going the opposite direction to search for their families or others they had lost contact with. So Mondo and Ishimaru only stayed with them for a few days before going out on their own again. Of course, they had had to deal with plenty of walkers, but as time passed, they were able to kill them without too much fear.

"Ya have someplace in mind?" Mondo replied. "Because honestly I’m just… I dunno, movin’, I guess."

"Well, I remember Naegi… you know, the short boy with the brown hair we met awhile back? Yeah, I remember him saying something about this huge group of survivors at a school. They were calling themselves the Hope Foundation or something."

"What kind of name is that?" Mondo scoffed. 

"I don’t know. It could have something with what they were doing. Naegi said they were trying to find a cure along with finding a safe place for survivors."

"We could head there, if ya want." Mondo said. "Think your parents might be there?"

"I’m… I’m not sure. I certainly hope so." Ishimaru said. The more time passed, the less enthusiastic Ishimaru was about finding his parents. They hadn’t found all that many survivors, so Mondo figured that maybe Ishimaru was losing hope.

"Well, it would never hurt to investigate. If it’s as safe as it sounds, maybe we could stay there."

"I thought you said we should always keep moving?" Ishimaru asked.

"Well, we keep movin’ unless we’re sure a place is completely safe. And so far, we haven’t found that. Even Naegi’s group was on the move, remember?"

"That’s true, I guess."

"Say, where was this group that kid was talkin’ about? He tell ya a location?" 

"Yes, actually. He said they were all at a place called Hope’s Peak Academy. Have you ever heard of it?"

"Of course I have." Mondo replied. "I’d be there right now if none of this had happened." 

"What, for real?" Ishimaru said, sitting up. "That’s amazing!! I was too! What were you?"

"What does that mean?"

"I mean, your title. You were enrolled with a title, right? What was it? I’m curious!"

"Nah, you’re gonna laugh at me."

"I won’t laugh, Mondo. I assure you, mine’s probably stranger." Mondo didn’t respond, so Ishimaru pouted. "Please?"

"Ugh, fine." Honestly, he couldn’t say no to that face. "I was Super-High-School-Level Gang Leader."

"…Whoa." Ishimaru said after a pause. "I didn’t realize that was something you could get into high school for."

"Me neither." Mondo replied. "But then I got the acceptance letter. But tell me your title. I wanna hear it."

"It’s… it was Super-High-School-Level Hall Monitor." Mondo snorted at that. "I thought you said you weren’t going to laugh!"

"You said that. I didn’t. Besides, what does that even mean? What would ya even study there?? Hall Monitor isn’t really a subject."

"Well, neither is being a gangster."

"That’s fair." Mondo let out a heavy sigh. "Wanna hear somethin’ stupid?"

"Is it about motorcycles?"

"Shut the fuck up, man, I’m tryin’ to be serious."

"Fine, what is it?"

"I actually… was lookin’ forward to goin’ there. Ya know, I’m not really a smart kid. Never was. My average in school was like… 70. Maybe. On a good day. I figured I’d probably end up droppin’ out. I’d either die young or get a shitty job. Maybe both. But Hope’s Peak… they all said that anyone who went there was guaranteed future success. And, I dunno, I figured that was my chance to make somethin’ out of my life. Maybe I could actually do somethin’. But now look at what happened. Just my fuckin’ luck." He paused, and Ishimaru didn’t say anything. "I’m sorry man, ya probably don’t wanna hear this pathetic shit. It was just on my mind when ya brought up that school."

"No, Mondo, it’s okay." Ishimaru said. "I understand that feeling completely."

"What, you? I figured you were the all-A type."

"I am the all-A type. But I wasn’t born that way or anything, I’ve worked for it. And honestly, when I got an acceptance letter from Hope’s Peak, I cried. I was so happy, Mondo. All my life, I’ve been working for one simple goal: to become prime minister."

"I wouldn’t exactly call that simple." 

"Oh, quiet, Mondo." Ishimaru said, smacking Mondo playfully. "Anyways, I worked so hard to get that goal because, well, my grandfather was prime minister too, once. Everyone had said he was a genius. However, he didn’t try very hard at anything it seems, so he was forced to resign, his business failed and to this day our family has been looked upon with shame. So I worked hard to become Prime Minister, to be a good leader and fix everything that had happened. And when I got that letter from Hope’s Peak, I cried. Going to that school meant I’d succeed. If I just continued what I was doing, I’d succeed. All that hard work would’ve finally paid off. But then this… had to happen."

"Damn, my story’s stupid as hell in comparison to your’s." Mondo exclaimed after a brief pause.

"No it’s not, Mondo. All goals are admirable, especially if you worked hard towards them."

The two of them lay in silence for a minute. Well, as close to silent as it could get with the constant sound of distant walker moans outside the building. 

"Mondo, do you think we would have become friends? If none of this had happened, and we had gone to that school like we were supposed to… do you think we still would’ve become this close?"

Honestly, Mondo wasn’t sure. Learning more about Ishimaru, he realized he was not typically the guy he’d become friends with. He was a goody-goody, rule-abiding kid, he was constantly putting rule breakers in detention and tended to be a bit of a hardass. But despite this, he was a good kid with a good heart. He was kind and sincere and knew right from wrong, even if it upset people. He listened to people and truly cared about others, when so many people probably wouldn’t give a damn.

"I think so, yeah." Mondo finally said. "It might’ve taken awhile, but yeah, we would’ve."

"What makes you so sure about that?"

"If you can like me in the worst of times, then you probably would’ve liked me in the best of times. I feel like we wouldn’t get along at first but if we somehow managed to talk, we’d probably be like we are now."

"Except without the killing."

"It’s not killing if they’re already dead."

"You know what I mean." He paused. "…Can I say something stupid now?" 

"Knock yourself out."

"I’m… I’m almost glad this all happened. If it hadn’t, we wouldn’t have been forced to become friends. If we were in school, I’d probably be throwing you in detention constantly and who knows if I’d ever actually talk to you. If I never got to talk to you, to really get to know you, I’d never get to realize the amazing person that you are."

"Dude, don’t…" Mondo was thankful for the darkness, because Ishimaru couldn’t see him blush. "Don’t say shit like that. It’s embarrassing."

"Well, it’s the truth."

"Yeah, but still. I think we woulda been friends in school. Woulda taken some time, but it’d happen."

"All right." Ishimaru yawned. "Well, we should get to bed and rest up for tomorrow, I suppose."

"Sure. ‘Night, Ishi."

"Good night, Mondo." 

The two laid in silence for awhile, but sleep was evading Mondo for the most part. He really was pissed off that the outbreak happened, that he spent the fall bashing dead people’s skulls in and running for his life from zombies instead of at school, getting towards his future. But he felt guilty thinking like that. After all, if he was feeling this shitty about it, who knew what Ishimaru must be going through? That kid worked all his life for a goal that was disrupted by the dead coming back to life. Mondo would’ve gotten success from basically luck. But Ishimaru had worked so hard for it, only for it to be all ruined. And the worst part was, neither of them could do jack shit about it. 

"Hey, Mondo?" Ishimaru asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Are you still awake?"

"Yeah, I am." Mondo whispered in response.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Go for it."

"Do you think things… will ever go back to the way they were?"

Mondo had to think about it. Was that… possible? His mind told him no. How could the few remaining humans manage to exterminate- or at least control- the overwhelming population of the dead? How would the survivors from different nations manage to get in contact with one another again? How would people find the means to get technology back to the way it was? How would society manage to start over again?

But, Mondo thought, none of that changed the fact that mankind had done it before. People started primitive, living day by day on survival instincts, protecting themselves from predators and hunting for food and they somehow grew to becoming full-blown societies that could communicate with each other with the click of a button, that could buy food from a store in five minutes, that learn off of one another and have distinct personalities. If mankind could do it once then Mondo had to believe- had to hope- that they could do it again.

"Yeah," Mondo finally said, "I’m not sure when… but one day, our lives will be back to normal. It has to be. Because I’m not dyin’ without tasting cotton candy one more time. And you. You’re not dyin’ until you’ve become prime minister and made the world perfect."

"I’m not sure if I’m capable of something that great." Ishimaru said. 

“‘Course ya are. You’re gonna do great things for the world one day; I can tell.”

* * *

 

"There’s only six. We can take ‘em." Mondo said. The two of them were in the suburbs surrounding Tokyo, where Hope’s Peak was located. But, just like every city nowadays, the streets were filled with walkers, making commuting a little difficult. 

It had been five months after it all began, and the two of them had finally decided on a location. They had spent a while beforehand traveling around for the most part, just staying safe, avoiding cities and looking for Ishimaru’s parents. But eventually they figured that finding the Hope Foundation that was (hopefully) at Hope’s Peak Academy would be the best bet. 

However, getting there was far easier said then done. The two had to spend a while cooped up in an old grocery store waiting for the snow and cold to pass, they had to find a map so they could figure out exactly which way to go, and they had to find the routes and streets with the least amount of walkers in their way. But now they were in the suburbs and, within a few days, they should be able to make it to Hope’s Peak; and then they’d be home free. 

"You take left, I take right?" Mondo asked. Ishimaru simply nodded. They were basically experts at this now. Ishimaru had kept his wooden katana with him since day one while Mondo had used whatever he had found convenient: a hammer, a shovel, a metal pipe, etc. Currently he had a metal bat in his hand, splattered with blood of previous walkers he had had to kill. "Okay… one, two… go!" The two of them rushed forward towards the walkers with the utmost confidence. Due to his strength, it usually only took one or two bashes for Mondo to kill a walker and in a matter of minutes, all three of them were on the ground, their brains splattered out on the pavement. It was a little morbid, Mondo realized, that seeing this hardly affected him anymore, that he could kill what used to humans with ease. But this was the way the world was now, and there was no point in dwelling on it. He liked to think that these people would appreciate their bodies not walking on their own accord anymore. "Hey, Kiyo, ya almost done?"

Something was wrong with Ishimaru. He had dropped his sword to the ground and was standing completely still. He had killed the first walker with ease; it laid at the pavement, by his feet. However, he was staring at the other two, completely unable- or unwilling- to move. The two walkers were heading straight for Ishimaru, their arms outstretched, ready to take a bite out of him. Mondo lunged forward and smacked the two down and killed them in the nick of time, making sure to keep Ishimaru out of harm’s way. He looked down at the two walkers after he had finished them off. After all, he had to figure out just what about these two had stopped Ishimaru dead in his tracks. The two walkers didn’t look familiar to him. They certainly weren’t Ishimaru’s parents; even if they were dead, he could still tell they were too young to be his parents, plus one was blonde and neither of them had thick eyebrows. So what the hell had freaked him out so much? 

"Oy, Kiyo, are you okay?" Ishimaru didn’t respond. He just continued staring at the two corpses on the ground before him with a mortified expression. Mondo was going to say something more, but he could hear the sounds of a group of moaning walkers coming towards them. He figured Ishimaru was in no state to fight them right now, so he grabbed Ishimaru’s hand and ran towards the nearest empty house. The moment they got inside, Mondo braced the door shut with a cabinet and shut and locked all of the windows. Luckily for them, the windows were small enough that even if the walkers saw them, there was no way they’d fit through.

"Hey… Kiyo…" Mondo panted. "Are you okay? Talk to me…" He looked up at Ishimaru who, despite running with him, didn’t look winded. He still looked pale and ultimately disturbed, with wide, sunken eyes that seemed to be staring at nothing. "Look, I’m gonna, uh, check the place to make sure there aren’t any dead here. Just, uh, scream if somethin’ happens, okay?" Ishimaru nodded, but said nothing. Mondo found the house to be empty, which was both good and bad. Good because there were no walkers to disturb them and bad because the place had nearly been picked clean of food and other supplies; they could only hide out in here for a few days at most. When he returned to Ishimaru, he looked slightly more alive. He was still very pale and looked a little freaked out, but at least he didn’t look like he was about to pass out anymore. "Here, uh, ya look like ya need this." He handed Ishimaru his water bottle, and Ishimaru drank from it slowly, his hands shaking as he held it. "Did ya… wanna tell me what happened over there?"

"They… they, uh, reminded me of my parents." Ishimaru finally said. 

"They weren’t." Mondo said, putting a hand on Ishimaru’s shoulder to reassure him. "Ya know that, right?"

"Of course I do. I’m their son and I’ve seen them nearly every day of my life. Of course I know that wasn’t them." Ishimaru asserted. 

"Well, it’s okay to be a little freaked out by that," Mondo reasoned, "but we’ll find ‘em, ya know? I’m sure they’re at Hope’s Peak and-"

"They’re not." Ishimaru interrupted. "They’re not going to be there."

"Oh, c’mon, ya don’t know that. Seein’ two walkers doesn’t mean shit."

"Mondo, they’re not going to be there. I know that."

"Hey, Kiyo, ya can’t just give up on ‘em like that."

"It’s not giving up if it’s the truth!" Ishimaru finally shouted. The outburst silenced Mondo, who backed away slightly to give Ishimaru some space. "…I’m sorry, Mondo. I’m really sorry."

"Hey, what are ya apologizing for? I shout all the time so of course you can too."

"Mondo, I’ve been unfair to you I… I’ve been lying to you since day one. Yet you have been so kind to me. I don’t deserve this… I’m so sorry."

"Hey, whoa, slow down." Mondo said. "Can ya just tell me what the fuck is goin’ on?" Ishimaru hesitated for a moment, but eventually sighed and began.

"Did you notice anything strange about those two walkers we saw outside?"

"Nah, not really. I was too busy makin’ sure they didn’t chomp on ya."

"Thank you for that." Ishimaru said. "But, did you notice their hands? They had tied their hands together with rope, so they wouldn’t get separated. I’m guessing they were both bitten at the same time and wanted to stay together as walkers. It reminded me of my parents. They… they were always together."

"Really? They didn’t strike me as the lovey-dovey type."

"They weren’t. But that doesn’t change that no matter what, they were always together. They worked in the same building, and when they were home, they were always in the same room. My father would read the newspaper in the kitchen and chat with my mother while she cooked. My mother would sit outside on a chair while my dad trimmed the hedges in the backyard. Sometimes they would just sit together in the living room for hours on end, just talking. They were always… together. So, of course they were together when they were bitten." 

"Wait, what?" Mondo gasped. 

"They were bitten, Mondo. When the two of them had gotten home on that very first day, they had already been bitten. They didn’t know what it was yet; none of us did. They had figured it was just some maniac violently attacking people in the city for no good reason. So they bandaged it up and thought nothing of it. But then they started getting sick. They turned pale, and started coughing up blood, and soon enough they couldn’t even move. And… and…" Ishimaru was visibly crying now, thick tears running down his cheeks. 

"So the two walkers ya said ya killed… they were…?" Ishimaru said nothing and nodded, hastily wiping tears away, only for them to be replaced with new ones moments later. 

"I… I… they told me to." He sobbed. "We were watching T.V… they never let me do that, but we needed to watch the news, to see if anyone knew what was happening. Not very many stations were working… they had all been cut off by something. But the new station we watched was talking about it. How some sort of epidemic was happening. People would get bitten and then they’d die and then come back just to bite and kill more people. And the only way you could kill them was by… destroying the brain. They said they didn’t want to turn into monsters like that. It’d be disgraceful. And as their son, it was my d-duty to make sure that they died as humans. So I…"

"So all that blood in the house, on your clothes and shit… that was from your parents?" 

"After I had done it, i buried my parents in the backyard. It was the least I could do, instead of leaving their corpses to rot like road kill." Ishimaru continued. "W-when you found me, I was just waiting. To die, I suppose. I didn’t want to go outside and get bitten and become a monster. I had caused enough disgrace for the family as it was. So I decided to wait there, in our home, until it ended. But then you showed up… and the plan changed. I’m so… sorry, Mondo, for everything. I’ve been such a terrible friend! I… from the start, I’ve been lying to you. You’ve been working effortlessly to help me. You looked for my parents with me, you’ve saved my life countless of times and yet… all I’ve done in return is lie to you! I’m sorry… I’m so sorry!!" 

Mondo didn’t know what to do. Honestly, what _could_  he do? Ishimaru’s parents were dead, and there was no bringing them back. There was no undoing what Ishimaru had done, either. But still, it wasn’t the kid’s fault! He almost felt mad at Ishimaru’s parents. Mondo didn’t want to become a walker. And honestly, who did? But the fact that Ishimaru’s parents had told their son to just… kill them like that. They told him it’d be dishonorable for him not to. How could they ask something like that of their son? 

"I’ve worked my whole life to restore honor to my family. But, even if the world does somehow go back to normal, how am I supposed to help the Ishimaru family if the only one left is a pathetic murderer like me?! It’s over, Mondo. Even if things go back to the way they were… I’m nothing."

Mondo pulled the trembling boy into his arms and squeezed him tight. Ishimaru didn’t hug him back, but he didn’t push him away, either. So that was good, right? 

"Kiyo, you’re not a murderer, okay?" Mondo finally said. "What happened was fucked up, sure, but it wasn’t murder. It was the walkers that killed em, not you."

"M-Mondo, I understand you’re trying to be sweet, but it doesn’t change the fact that I bashed their skulls in. That I killed my family, the people I wanted to prove my worth to my whole life!" 

"And ya did, Kiyo. Ya put them outta their misery so they didn’t become monsters… fuck, man, I’m not sure if I’d be able to do that. Hell, I don’t think I’d be able to ask anyone that. I don’t think them askin’ ya to do that was right, but ya proved your worth by making a hard decision in a hard time. You’re not a murderer, okay? You’re a good person and a good son. The best anyone could ask for." 

"B-but…" Ishimaru moaned, "but my family… the only Ishimaru left is me… How can I possibly save the family if it’s only me? All my hard work is meaningless now! I don’t have anyone left to make proud."

"I’m proud of you, Kiyotaka." Mondo said. "You’re strong, you’re tough as hell, you’re smart and funny and cute and… fuck, I can’t think of anythin’ that’s bad about ya. And if you’ll let me I’d like to be your family."

"…What?"

"Kiyo, I’m stickin’ with ya til the end. I already said that I wasn’t dyin’ until I’ve had another bite of cotton candy. And I’m makin’ sure you’re with me to have some, too." Mondo pulled away from Ishimaru, and it was only now that Ishimaru could notice just how bright red his face had become. "I love you. And if you don’t wanna be the only Ishimaru in the world then… I’ll become one too, so you’re not alone. I mean… if that’s all right. I know I’m not the type of guy that’d probably belong as an Ishimaru… but… I dunno." Mondo looked away from Ishimaru, scratching his hair nervously.

"Mondo you… you love me?" Ishimaru asked. He wasn’t sobbing anymore, but tears were still rolling down his cheeks. "I… I’ve never been told that before."

"Nobody? Not even by your parents?"

"No." Ishimaru said, shaking his head. "W-well, they might have. A long time ago, maybe. But still, I never thought… never dreamed that anyone would be able to… _love_  me.” He said the word so hesitantly, as if he was unsure of whether or not it was a real word. 

"Well, I’m here now. So ya don’t have to wonder anymore." He paused. "I-I mean if you’ll take me! I know it was a really fuckin’ weird thing to bring up outta nowhere, but-"

"Yes, Mondo." Ishimaru interrupted. 

"Wait, what?"

"I said yes, Mondo." Ishimaru repeated. Mondo noticed he was smiling, and it was the first smile he had ever seen on him in months. "I love you, too. And I… I’d be honored if you’d be a part of my family."

"What, really?" Mondo grinned ear to ear. "You’re serious? You’re not shittin’ me, right?"

"Of course I’m not."

"Thank you! I mean, fuck, thanks! I thought you’d think I’m weird or… fuckin’, I dunno." He quickly pulled Ishimaru into another tight hug, burying his bright red face on Ishimaru’s shoulder. "Look, I’m not good with words. So, uh, just know that I’m gonna be here for ya, no matter what." He wiped a few stray tears from Ishimaru’s cheek with his hand, then kissed him. "It’s a man’s promise."

The two of them decided to stay in that empty house and rest for the remainder of the day. It had been a draining day for the two of them, both emotionally and physically. They found a bed upstairs that was big enough for the both of them, and since it had been so long since he had slept on a bed, it didn’t take long for Ishimaru to drift off to sleep. Mondo, however, stayed up a little longer, just holding Ishimaru in his arms and thinking about things. 

He thought about Ishimaru having to kill his parents. He couldn’t even imagine himself doing something like that. At this moment, he was almost thankful that Daiya was dead; at least that way he wouldn’t have to live in a world like this. He began to wonder what Daiya would’ve been like in this world. He’d survive for awhile, probably. But then he’d do something stupid, get himself bitten or hurt or something trying to protect someone. Daiya always tried to be the goddamn hero, taking hits for Mondo constantly. If he had been bitten, would he have asked Mondo to kill him? Probably not. He’d try to keep up the tough guy attitude, tell him to leave before anything bad happened. But would he be able to live with the fact that his brother had become a walker? Even if Daiya did tell him to kill him, Mondo wasn’t sure he’d be able to do it. How could anyone have the strength to do that? Ishimaru must be really, really strong to be able to push himself past that, even if it was still haunting him to this day. Mondo didn’t want to think about Daiya anymore. As cruel as it was, Mondo was glad Daiya died in a world where dead people weren’t eating the living. 

He thought about the day he had met Ishimaru, all those months ago. He remembered how he had found him in the attic, frightened and frail and covered in blood- his own family’s blood, now that he thought about it. Being covered in walker blood was one thing, but being coated in your own family’s blood for so long… If he hadn’t stumbled into that house, Mondo realized, Ishimaru would’ve died like that; scared, miserable and alone. He hugged Ishimaru tighter to him, thankful that he had found him when he did. That he had been able to befriend him and fall in love with him and maybe, even if it was only slightly, help him. 

"Mondo… Ishimaru…" Ishimaru mumbled. 

"Huh?" Mondo said. "You’re awake?"

"Yes. I have been for awhile." Ishimaru replied. 

"Why didn’t ya say somethin’?"

"Because I’m comfortable." Ishimaru stated. 

"W-well, what were you sayin’?" Mondo asked, hoping that Ishimaru wouldn’t notice his blush. 

"Your new name. Mondo Ishimaru. I’m not sure if that sounds right."

"What, did ya wanna be Kiyotaka Oowada?" Mondo asked.

"No, I don’t think that sounds right either."

"Then whaddya wanna do? Combine em?"

"That’s a great idea, Mondo!"

"Oh. Okay, um… Kiyotaka Oowamaru." Even Mondo laughed at that. "Okay, you come up with it. That sounds stupid."

"Hm… how about… Ishida." Ishimaru suggested. "Kiyotaka Ishida and Mondo Ishida."

"That works with me. Doesn’t sound too weird, and none of us have to give up anythin’."

"Then Ishida it is." The two of them laid in silence for a moment, just enjoying the warmth of being in each other’s arms. Honestly, it was the happiest either of them had been in a long while, and probably the happiest they could be in a world like this. 

"Hey, Mondo?" Ishimaru asked. 

"What is it, Kiyo?"

"I’m really glad that you found me when you did. If not, I might have…"

"I know, Kiyo, I know." Mondo held him tighter. "But it’s gonna be okay. We’re family now, and I’m not gonna let anythin’ happen to ya." Ishimaru smiled and nuzzled his head against him, even if he knew that Mondo couldn’t promise that.

* * *

 

"Mondo!! Help!!" A very large walker had Ishimaru pinned beneath it, and was only inches away from gnawing at his neck. The only thing keeping it back was Ishimaru’s outstretched arms pushing it away.

It had been five months and a week after it all began, and, according to their map, Ishimaru and Mondo were just blocks away from Hope’s Peak. But if Tokyo had been crowded as hell before the apocalypse, it was even worse after it. The streets were lined with walkers and many of the buildings were packed as well. It was a miracle that Hope’s Peak was still there, but if it truly was a place for the best of the best, then maybe it did stand a chance. Unfortunately for Ishimaru and Mondo, they weren’t at Hope’s Peak yet. They were but a few blocks away with about a hundred walkers in between them and their destination. They decided the best course of action was to go from rooftop to rooftop, until they eventually reached their destination. However, the area just around Hope’s Peak was empty. The school was surrounded by thick trees and empty space, making it impossible to use their normal method of travel to get there. They decided to wait it out in the closest building until the walkers were few enough for them to get through on their own. The building, unfortunately, wasn’t empty, and it caught the two off guard. 

"Shit!!" Mondo rushed over to Ishimaru, but before he could reach him, he was grabbed from behind by a walker he had failed to notice in the commotion. After a brief moment of surprise, he managed to get out of its’ tight grasp and push it to the ground, then bash its’ skull in with his bat. He immediately rushed over to Ishimaru, who was still struggling with the walker. Mondo pulled it off of Ishimaru and killed it with a few swings. 

"Oy… Kiyo…" Mondo said in between breaths. "You okay? Did it hurt ya?"

"I-I’m fine, Mondo." He replied. He was a little pale and shaken up, which was expected, seeing how close he was to getting eaten alive. "What about you?"

"I’m fine." Mondo replied. 

"But Mondo… you’re bleeding." Ishimaru said. He was staring at Mondo’s shoulder with a worried expression. In the rush of it all, Mondo hadn’t even noticed the pain. He didn’t remember getting hurt at all. All he had been focusing on was trying to get to Ishimaru, so he wouldn’t get hurt. 

The blood was coming from Mondo’s shoulder. It was where the walker had grabbed him, right? Could they cut with their hands alone? Mondo wasn’t sure, so he pulled down his coat sleeve slightly so he could see the cut better.

But then his blood ran cold.

It wasn’t just a cut, or scratch marks like if he had been clawed at. What he saw on his shoulder was repeated, small cuts that formed a semicircle. That is, a bite mark. He had been panicking; too worried about Ishimaru to even notice the sharp pain when the walker had bitten down on him.

"Fuck…" Mondo muttered, placing his hand on the bloody wound. "Fuck…!"

"Mondo…?" Ishimaru asked, approaching him slowly.

"FUCK!! FUCK!!!" Mondo screamed. 

"Mondo, be quiet, you don’t want to draw attention!" Ishimaru reasoned.

"Who the fuck cares, Kiyo?!" Mondo shouted. "I’ve been bitten! It’s fuckin’ over!!! I’m gonna fuckin’ die, just after I promised you… I promised that I’d protect you!!" He collapsed to the floor in frustration. He could feel hot tears poking at his eyes. Mondo considered himself to be tough, but that didn’t mean he was scared of hell of dying like this. Of getting sick and becoming a monster and then leaving Ishimaru all alone. That’s not how Mondo Oowada was supposed to die! It just… wasn’t….

"Mondo." Ishimaru said calmly. He knelt down to Mondo’s level placed his hand on Mondo’s unbitten shoulder. "Mondo, it’s going to be okay."

"How the fuck can ya say that, Kiyo? You know what fuckin’ happens when someone gets bitten! They get sick and die and then eat others and… fuck! How the fuck can ya be so calm about this?!"

"Mondo…" Ishimaru repeated, his tone unwavering. He rolled down his sleeve, revealing his freshly bitten wrist.

"What… what the fuck?!" Mondo grabbed his hand and inspected it closely. "This… this can’t be happenin’, right? This is a scrape or somethin’, right?? Tell me it’s a scrape!!"

"I got it while holding that other walker back. At least… it didn’t get my neck, right?" Ishimaru smiled, albeit weakly. "But it’s going to be okay."

"The fuck do ya mean it’s going to be okay?! We’re fucked, Kiyo! We’re both goin’ to die like this!!"

"Mondo, calm down."

"I’m not calmin’ down!! Fuck, Kiyo, how can ya just fuckin’ accept this?! I’ll be damned if we don’t at least _try_  to survive!!” He opened his bag desperately, in search for something, anything that might help.

"What are you trying to do?"

"Find a knife! Or somethin’. If we cut if off quick enough, we can live!"

"But then what, Mondo? You cut my hand off and then I bleed all over the place. Do we have any bandages to stop the bleeding, or disinfectant to make sure I don’t get infected?" He pointed at Mondo’s shoulder. "And what about you? It’s at the base of your neck, Mondo. How do you suppose you cut that off?" Mondo wanted to yell at Ishimaru for his willingness to give up… but everything Ishimaru was saying was the truth.

"Fuck… fuck…" Mondo said, defeated. "We’re gonna die here."

"Exactly, Mondo. It… it’s just like you said, remember?" He placed a hand on Mondo’s cheek in an attempt to soothe him. "You said you were sticking with me until the end… so it’ll be okay. Neither of us have to die alone." Mondo wanted to yell, to scream about how fucked up this was, how fucked up it was that Ishimaru could just accept this so easily. For fuck’s sake he cried at all sorts of shit but when looking death in the face he was a goddamn hero? But that’s when he noticed that Ishimaru’s hand was trembling. He was scared. He was probably just as scared as Mondo, if not more so, seeing how he had had to watch his own family nearly turn. And now, he was going to get the same fate as them. But despite all of it, despite his fear, he was trying so hard to be strong for Mondo, the man who had helped him when he was at his lowest. 

"So what… do we do now?" Mondo asked, leaning back against a wall.

"I’m… not sure." Ishimaru replied, sitting beside him. "I guess there’s two things at this point." Mondo said nothing and just looked at him expectantly. "We could wait it out and… become monsters together. Or we can end one another."

"We don’t have a gun." Mondo said. 

"I know. And I don’t know how it could be done without one of us still surviving." Ishimaru said, his voice trembling.

"Then no. I’m not lettin’ ya go through that again." Mondo said, placing his hand on Ishimaru’s. 

"So you’re okay just… becoming a monster?"

"Yeah, it’s fine." Mondo said. "Compared to the other choice… I’d rather have my skull bashed in when I’m already dead."

"Yes, I agree."

"Then it’s settled." Mondo stated. "We wait. …How long does it usually take?"

"I’m not sure. With my parents it took about… four or five hours, maybe."

"Then let’s not waste them." He pulled Ishimaru close and kissed him. 

They spent the first hour just being close to one another. Holding each other tight, making slow, gentle love, kissing each other passionately and whispering soft ‘I love you’s in between breaths. It was a little awkward and uncomfortable at first, seeing that the two of them were both extremely new to this kind of thing. But they figured that this was going to be the one and only time they’d ever have the chance to be this close to one another, so they took it. 

The second hour they mostly spent laying in one another’s arms just… talking. 

"Mondo, I’m a little disappointed." Ishimaru said.

"In what?" Mondo replied. 

"I know this was unavoidable, but… I was looking forward to trying cotton candy." He sighed, nuzzling his head against Mondo’s chest. "What does it taste like?"

"It, uh…" Mondo hesitated. Honestly, he couldn’t think of anything sadder than this. Ishimaru was going to die without ever trying cotton candy! It was nothing short of a travesty! Really, what kind of kid didn’t ever try it? Ishimaru. Ishimaru was that kind of kid. "It tastes like a cloud."

"So it tastes like water?"

"Nah, it doesn’t. But they look like clouds. So they taste like clouds… but also pink?"

"I don’t follow."

"It’s sweet. Like sugar. But it kinda tastes like fruit, too. Like strawberries. Or maybe it’s cherry. It depends."

"It doesn’t sound like something you’d typically like."

"But it’s delicious, I promise! It-" He cut himself off with a violent coughing fit. He covered his mouth with a handkerchief that he had in his coat pocket, and grimaced when he found he had coughed blood on it. 

"Are you okay?" Ishimaru asked nervously. 

"Y-yeah, I’m fine." He put the handkerchief down to the side so Ishimaru wouldn’t see it. "Well, I’m as fine as I can be, seein’ how I’m kinda dyin’."

"…Yes, that makes sense." Ishimaru said hesitantly. Even though he knew that the both of them were going to die soon, he didn’t wish to dwell on it. "Mondo, where do you think we’re going?"

"What do ya mean?"

"I mean… do you think there’s an afterlife, or are we going to be reincarnated or what?"

"I’m not sure." Mondo replied. "Daiya always said that we’d become ghosts. But he said that just to scare the shit outta me. So I dunno. I’m hopin’ it’s not reincarnation. I don’t wanna be born again in a shithole world like this. But I’d like to think there’s so great place we’ll go. Like heaven or somethin’."

"They always depict heaven as being on a cloud." Ishimaru commented. "Maybe in our case, the clouds will be made of cotton candy."

"Heh. If only. But if that happens I’ll eat right through it." Mondo chuckled. "…But do ya honestly think someone like me would be able to get into heaven?"

"Do you think I would?" Ishimaru asked.

"Why wouldn’t ya? You’re smart and kind and ya treat people right."

"But I’m a killer."

"A mercy killer. I think that’d give ya extra points into heaven."

"Well, if you think a killer like me can get in, then I’m sure you’ll have no problem getting in, too." 

The third hour was hellish for Mondo. He kept getting dizzy spells and would fall unconscious for a moment, much to the fear of Ishimaru. Not only that, but he felt feverish. He felt like he was cold, like if he didn’t put a blanket on himself he’d freeze to death. But moments later, he felt as if he had been put in an oven, and needed escape before he burned alive. Despite his changing symptoms, one thing was constant: his shoulder stung. The bite wound on his shoulder, though not huge, didn’t stop bleeding. It wasn’t bleeding profusely, and he certainly wasn’t going to die of blood loss, but nevertheless it never scabbed up or faded. This was to be expected, he thought. After all, all of the walkers he had encountered were still bleeding. Their bite wounds, any wounds they had received after that and so on were still dripping blood. And it made sense. Why would their blood need to clot? They were dead, so healing wounds served no purpose. Mondo hated the tingling, sharp pain he constantly felt in his shoulder. He was beginning to think that maybe it’d have been better if he’d cut off the damn shoulder. At least bleeding to death would’ve been quicker. The only thing that stopped him from doing it was Ishimaru. The thought of a dying Ishimaru, being alone in a blood-soaked room with Mondo’s corpse in it was more than enough to convince him. Ishimaru really didn’t need that to be one of his last memories on earth. 

"Mondo… Mondo… are you still… here?" It was Ishimaru’s frail, frightened voice that awoke Mondo halfway through the fourth hour. He didn’t really remember the last half hour; he didn’t even remember falling asleep. The last thing he remembered was talking about heaven with Ishimaru, but how long ago was that? Was Ishimaru alright? He thought he remembered him coughing… or maybe that was just himself? Mondo couldn’t remember and didn’t even have the energy to try. He felt so… weak, and he hated it. He was sure at this point he probably wouldn’t be able to walk. 

"It’s bullshit." Mondo muttered.

"W-what is?" Ishimaru asked. 

"Last moments ya spend as human and ya can’t fuckin’ walk. But the moment ya come back you’re fine? It’s bullshit."

"Mondo, are you feeling alright?"

"What the fuck do ya think?!" Mondo snapped. He noticed Ishimaru’s hurt expression and sighed. "I’m sorry. No, no, I’m not okay, but that’s the point."

"I-I’m sorry." Ishimaru mumbled.

"Baby, don’t… don’t apologize." Mondo replied. "I’m just… a little on edge, ya know? I didn’t mean to-" He began to cough again, effectively silencing him.

"You’re not doing too well…" Ishimaru said. He reached forward to touch Mondo’s forehead. "And you’re burning up too." 

That’s when Mondo noticed it. 

He grabbed Ishimaru’s wrist and inspected it closely. His bite wound had stopped bleeding. It had scabbed over and looked like it was on the way to healing. 

"Hey… you said you were bitten, right?" Mondo asked. 

"Yes, of course I was!" Ishimaru replied, slightly confused. "I’ve heard that the time varies… so maybe it’ll take me a little longer than you?"

"Kiyo, how’re ya feeling?"

"I’m… not so good, Mondo. I’m worried."

"Not emotionally. Like physically. How do ya feel? Do ya feel weak? Does your stomach hurt? Have ya been coughin’?"

"No, I haven’t…" Ishimaru said. "It’s… a little strange, isn’t it? But I’m sure it’s only a matter of time, really."

"Kiyotaka, please listen to me." Mondo said, his grip tightening around Ishimaru’s wrist. "I think… I think ya might be immune."

"W-What…?" He looked shocked for a moment, but shook his head. "That’s impossible. No one’s immune to this. Even if it was possible, my parents weren’t, so I wouldn’t be either!"

"Think about it, Kiyo! You’re not feelin’ sick. Hell, you’re not even feelin’ tired! And walkers… you’ve dealt with tons of ‘em! Have ya seen any of them with scabs, with healed over scars? Of course ya haven’t! They wouldn’t need to! But this… you’re healin’, Kiyo. It didn’t affect ya!"

"Of course it did, Mondo." Ishimaru said, pulling his wrist away. "It healed up because I’m still alive. So-"

"Mine didn’t." Mondo said. He pulled down his coat a little, revealing the still red and bloody bite wound. "Mine’s still bleedin’." 

"This… this can’t be happening…" Ishimaru muttered, his face growing pale. "This isn’t how it’s supposed to work…"

"Look, Kiyo," Mondo took a deep breath, knowing that what he was about to say would completely ruin Ishimaru, "ya need to get out of here."

"What?" Ishimaru asked. Tears were beginning to roll down his face. "I… I can’t do that, Mondo, where would I even go? What would I do?"

"Go to Hope’s Peak, just like we planned." Ishimaru was about to protest, but Mondo cut him off. "Think about it. That school had all sorts of shit like a lab, didn’t it? If there’s a doctor there, or a scientist or somethin’, they could find a way to make a cure. After all, that’s what they were plannin’ to do!"

"If, Mondo! We’re basing all of this off of an if statement!"

"But it’s the best we got right now."

"…Fine. I’ll go." Ishimaru wiped his eyes furiously and grabbed Mondo’s hand. "But you’re coming with me, okay? We’re staying together!"

"I dunno… if I can walk, baby." 

"You have to try, please!!" Ishimaru shouted desperately. "If this is true, if I can actually make a cure then… then I’m not letting you die!" Mondo’s legs felt like they were made of stone, but he forced himself to stand up. Not for the chance of saving himself, but for helping Ishimaru. He had to stay with him, as long as he could. 

The exit was one room down. After the two of them had discovered their bite wounds and decided to wait it out, they had gone into the adjoining room. After all, why would they want to stay in a room with two disgusting, dead walkers? This walk was no problem for Ishimaru. He felt fine; physically, at least. Mondo, on the other hand…

Mondo took a few shaky steps before stumbling forward, and it was only due to Ishimaru’s quick resources that he didn’t hit the floor. 

"H-here, Mondo…!" Ishimaru said, wrapping Mondo’s arm around him. "You can lean on me, if it’ll help!!" Mondo just felt so awful. Ishimaru’s voice was so frail and panicked; but he couldn’t help feeling like he was going to pass out at any moment. He leaned on Ishimaru, and could feel the smaller boy trembling. Honestly, it was Ishimaru’s damaged state that made Mondo feel sicker than the bite.

When they were just a two yards away from the door, Mondo felt dizzy again and his arm slid off of Ishimaru’s body, causing him to crumple to the floor. 

"Mondo!! Mondo!!!" Ishimaru shouted. Mondo sat up against a wall, and Ishimaru knelt down to his level. "Please, you have to get up!! Please!!" He grabbed onto Mondo’s arm and tugged, but it was useless. Mondo wasn’t going anywhere. 

"I’m sorry… Kiyotaka…" Mondo said, his voice hoarse. "I can’t move."

"You have to try, Mondo, please!!!" Ishimaru sobbed. Using all the strength he could muster, Mondo tried to move up, to get his pathetic ass off of the ground, but it didn’t work. His legs simply wouldn’t work.

"I’m sorry, Kiyo." Mondo said again. "I’m really sorry…"

"Don’t apologize, Mondo, just… please!!!" Ishimaru begged. He hated seeing Ishimaru like this; he hated seeing Ishimaru cry. But what could he do? If he had been in Ishimaru’s place right now, he’d be sobbing too.

"Listen, Kiyo, go on ahead." Mondo said, trying his best to smile. "Just hurry… before anything happens."

"I’m not leaving you, Mondo!! I…I can’t!!"

"Ya have to, Kiyo. You’re the only hope we’ve got and ya can’t waste that!"

"This isn’t fair!" Ishimaru screamed. "Why? Why did it have to be me who’s immune?! Why did some stupid, useless kid like me have to be the one to live?! You’re the one that should be living, Mondo!!" Mondo used the rest of his strength to reach forward and place his hand on Ishimaru’s face so he could wipe his tears away and comfort him the best he could. 

"Kiyo, you’re not useless." Mondo said. "Don’t ever say that about yourself again."

"W-why shouldn’t I? I mean, I couldn’t… even help the ones I love!"

"That wasn’t your fault. This… isn’t your fault either. But please, remember what I told ya, Kiyo," Mondo said with a weak grin, "you’re gonna do great things for the world one day. I know ya wanted to be prime minister or somethin’, and I know that’s not really possible anymore but… Kiyo, you’re immune. You can do so much for people… fuck, you can save the whole damn world! And you can do this just by bein’ you. So don’t you ever call yourself useless again, alright?"

"B-but… but I… I’m so weak!" 

"No you’re not. You’re scared, probably. And that’s fine; I get scared too during all this shit. Hell, I’m scared right now. But it doesn’t make ya any less strong. You’re capable of anything ya put your mind to. You’ve saved my life countless of times! And honestly I can’t think of anybody that’d be able to move on after being forced to kill their parents."

"But… but I wasn’t going to. I told you, I-"

"I know, baby, I know. But ya still managed to move on, and I don’t think I woulda been able to do that. You’re one of the strongest people I know, Kiyo, and… I’m proud of ya."

"Mondo…" Ishimaru put his hand on Mondo’s and just sat there, sobbing. Mondo wanted to do something, to hold him and tell him he was going to be fine. But there was no way he could promise that, as much as he wished he could. "Okay, Mondo…" Ishimaru finally said in a weak voice. "I’ll go… I’ll leave..!" Ishimaru slowly stood up, trying to wipe his tears away. He picked up his old, blood soaked katana and looked back at Mondo with a solemn expression. "A-are you sure… you’re okay with this? Mondo, are you really okay with becoming a walker?"

"I don’t think I got much of a choice, baby." Mondo replied. 

"I… maybe I should make sure it doesn’t happen." Ishimaru said, his voice trembling. "Maybe I should make sure that-"

"Fuck no, Kiyo." Mondo interrupted. "I’m not lettin’ ya go through that ever again!"

"But you’ll be one of them, Mondo. Y-you’ll be a walker…!"

"No, I won’t. My body will be, but I won’t. So, it’s okay. I promise… it’s okay." Ishimaru said nothing but just stood there, staring at Mondo, his body trembling as he tried to hold back his tears. "Hey, Kiyo, come over here for a sec." 

"What is it, Mondo?" Ishimaru asked, kneeling back down to his level. Mondo struggled for a moment, but managed to get his arms out of his old gang jacket and took the thing off. He draped it over Ishimaru and smiled. "Ya keep shakin’, idiot. Put a coat on if you’re cold."

"Mondo, I can’t take this!" Ishimaru protested. "This is precious to your family!! I simply cannot take something so prized!"

"You are my family, Kiyo. I thought we talked about this already."

"Mondo…" Ishimaru put the coat on properly. The sleeves were a bit too long and draped over his hands, but he didn’t care. It was a precious gift from Mondo, and he would take care of it as best as he could. 

"It suits ya, baby. Maybe a little big, but there’s no helpin’ that."

"I love it, Mondo." Ishimaru smiled through his tears at the dying biker. "I’ll cherish it more than anything… I promise!"

"I know ya will, baby, I know." Mondo’s sight went blurry for a second, and he felt as if he was about to pass out again. "But ya gotta go… hurry, please…! I don’t wanna hurt ya…"

"I know, Mondo, I know." Ishimaru crept forward and pulled Mondo into a hug. As much as he wanted to, Mondo was unable to hug back, and had to sit there, limp, as Ishimaru clung onto him. The most he could do was lean forward and give him a soft kiss on the forehead. 

"I love ya, Kiyo. I love ya so, so much." He said. 

"I love you too, Mondo. More than anything. I love you… I love you so much!" 

"I know ya do, baby. And I’m not gonna forget it… so go, please." Ishimaru whimpered and let go of Mondo. He reluctantly stood up and stared at him, teary-eyed. "And stay as safe as ya can. Promise?"

"P-promise…" Ishimaru replied. 

"You’re strong, Kiyo. You can do anythin’. Remember that."

"I will, Mondo. I promise, I will…!" Mondo said nothing more and just smiled weakly at him. Ishimaru took this as his cue to go. He wiped his eyes feverishly. After all, he needed to be as focused as possible if he was to get through the walkers outside, alone.

Alone. That was the first time he had thought about it. He was going to be alone now, wasn’t he? It seemed surreal to him. This whole time the two of them had been together. Even through all the death and chaos and moving the one thing that had remained the same was Mondo. He was always there by his side, he always had his back during a fight, he was always there to protect him and keep him company when the going got rough. But now… 

Ishimaru stopped when he reached the door. He turned around one last time to get a final look at the man he loved more than anything in the world. 

"Mondo…?" Ishimaru asked. But Mondo didn’t hear it. The biker’s eyes were shut and his body was slumped over. From here Ishimaru could see that his chest wasn’t moving anymore; Mondo was dead. He knew he had to leave, he knew that in minutes Mondo would become a soulless, killing monster. But despite that, he couldn’t get himself to leave just yet. He needed to say something more, even if it would fall upon deaf ears. "Mondo, thank you so, so much for everything. I’ll never forget you, you know? And that’s a man’s promise." 

—————————- 

Ishimaru stood before the bolted door of Hope’s Peak Academy.

Five months, a week and a day after it all began, Ishimaru had finally reached his destination. Getting here hadn’t been as hard as he had expected. After he had left Mondo, he had found the streets to be surprisingly empty. Granted, there were a few walkers here and there, but it was nothing Ishimaru couldn’t take care of. The herd had wandered off and, Ishimaru supposed, had heard the sound of survivors somewhere else in the city and went to get them. Ishimaru silently thanked the strangers who he knew were likely dead.

He looked around the school but found no obvious entrance. The windows had been bolted shut with metal and the door was locked. He had to admit he was impressed that they had managed to make such an impenetrable fortress. He slammed his fist against the locked door. That was a good place to start, wasn’t it? Either way, he was going to get inside. He had to.

"Hey. Open up." Ishimaru said. He pounded his fist against the metal harder. He could feel rage boiling up inside him. He had made it this far, and he was not going to be left alone out here. "Hey, I said open up!! Can’t you hear me?! Open this door!! There’s a survivor our here!! I’m not dying alone, so open up!!"

"Okay, okay, I’m opening the door!" A muffled voice responded. The door opened a crack. Not big enough for Ishimaru to enter, but big enough for him to see who he was talking to. "Ishimaru, is that you?" Before him stood Naegi, the boy he had seen in a group what felt like ages ago. Figures, Ishimaru thought, that someone like Naegi would make his way here before him and Mondo. Damn lucky kid. Naegi took his silence as an invitation to keep talking. "Hey, are you alright? You look like a mess. Where’s Oowada?" Ishimaru flinched at the mention of his name. He glared at Naegi and clenched his fists.

"Do you… do you have a doctor in there?" Ishimaru asked in a quiet voice, trying his absolute hardest not to shout at the kid.

"Er… yeah, we do. Two, I think." Naegi replied. "Why, are you hurt? Is Oowada hurt?"

"Do you have a scientist in there too?" Ishimaru asked, ignoring his second question. 

"Yes… I think. One." Naegi responded. 

"You have to promise not to kill me after I show you this." Ishimaru said. 

"I… won’t…" Naegi responded, obviously confused. "Hey, Ishimaru, you want to tell me what’s going on? You don’t look too good."

"Oowada’s dead, and I’m not Ishimaru anymore. It’s Ishida now." Ishimaru rolled down Mondo’s coat sleeve to reveal his healed, bitten wrist. "My name is Kiyotaka Ishida, and I am immune to the disease. Let me in so we can save the goddamn world."

 


End file.
